March 2026
Above, from left: Karen Thompson, rehabilitation manager; Kendra McMillen, exercise physiologist; Emily Storm, KOBI-TV anchor and reporter.
At Providence, heart health is about making care accessible and realistic. Seated exercises offer a supportive way to feel stronger and take meaningful steps toward better health — right from home.
Caregivers at Providence Medford Medical Center recently shared a series of easy, seated exercises on KOBI‑TV, designed to help people move safely and comfortably from your own living room — especially those with limited mobility or chronic pain.
“These seated workouts actually help your heart and your joints,” says Karen Thompson, rehabilitation manager at Providence Medford Medical Center.
Movement that meets you where you are
Before starting any workout, Karen recommends a simple warm‑up, such as shoulder rolls and deep breathing, to increase blood flow and prepare the body for movement.
The exercises themselves are intentionally accessible. Arm‑strengthening movements like bicep curls and arm raises can be done with light weights — or everyday items like soup cans.
“You can use weights or if you don’t have weights at home, soup cans are great as well,” Karen says.
These seated exercises are suitable for a wide range of people. While they’re especially helpful for older adults or those with mobility challenges, Karen emphasizes they’re beneficial for anyone looking to move more.
“Really anybody — any age — can do it,” Karen says. “They’re geared toward people who have difficulty with mobility, so that’s typically our older population, but you can be young and doing these as well to start your day.”
Starting small makes a big difference
Even short periods of activity can improve heart health. Kendra McMillen, an exercise physiologist at Providence Medford, says many patients begin with just five to 10 minutes a day.
“We start with five to 10 minutes, and once we get strong, then we’re up to 15 to 20,” Kendra says. “Then we meet the American Heart Association [recommendation] of doing 30 minutes most days out of the week to help reduce our risk of heart disease.”
Beyond physical benefits, gentle movement can also improve confidence and emotional well‑being.
“We have patients who come in. They're apprehensive. They have chronic pain and then once they start doing some of this activity, they start to loosen up and they start to feel better,” she says.
Related
- Schedule an appointment at Providence Medford Medical Center's Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility
- See a story on the recent donor improvements to Providence Medford Medical Center.
- See Kendra go above and beyond to help her cardiac rehabilitation patient walk a 5K.
